


Almost Love

by autumnstar



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Tumblr: luciferprompts, petty immortals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 04:01:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14180118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnstar/pseuds/autumnstar
Summary: At a formal dinner party with Marcus, the last people Chloe expected to see were Lucifer and Maze.[Prompt fill for luciferprompts]





	Almost Love

Chloe wasn't against socialising. Not exactly. It was more the small talk that came with it, and the dinner that Marcus had invited her to was full of it. There were few people who seemed to be having genuine, interesting conversations. If people weren't fishing for gossip, then they were making inane comments about the weather, or talking about what they did over the weekend with someone who clearly didn't care.

She sighed and stared down at the untouched flute of white wine in her hand. Marcus was beside her, talking to some old co-workers from before he'd transferred to L.A. This wasn't her sort of thing at all, but Marcus wanted her there, so Chloe had agreed to go. She was trying to make things work.

"Chloe," Marcus said lowly in her ear, squeezing her hand lightly to get her attention. She tried to match his smile, but it didn't quite work. "Are you alright?"

"Oh! Yeah," she nodded and tried to sound as cheery as she could, but even to her own ears it sounded false. It made her want to cringe. "It's just our case, you know. I really thought me and Lucifer had something." Marcus arched an eyebrow at her and Chloe hastily added, "Another lead. I'm still not convinced that guy's alibi was real. I mean, who goes to buy ice cream at 3 in the morning?"

"You'd be surprised," he answered, and she could tell by the hint of a smile that it was Marcus' attempt at a joke.

"Right." She nodded again. "You're right. It might be nothing, but-- What is it?" As quickly as his faint smile had appeared, Marcus looked stern again. He watched something over Chloe's shoulder, and as she turned to see what it was she felt her heart sink.

"What's he doing here?" Marcus hissed, and she didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but Chloe was sure he sounded like he was accusing her of something. What he was accusing her of, Chloe didn't know. She'd never have invited Lucifer to something like this. Formal dinner parties, especially ones for the police, really weren't Lucifer's scene.

"I can't believe he's doing this," she whispered, partly to herself and partly to Marcus. "He knew I was coming here and he-- He just--" Chloe struggled to get her words out, and her frustration was made even worse when she saw who Lucifer's plus one was.

In a long, black, extremely tight dress, Maze appeared at Lucifer's side and took his arm. They smiled easily at one another, and Chloe set her drink down before she was tempted to down the whole thing.

She hadn't seen Maze in weeks, not since she'd hurriedly moved out, and she'd foolishly assumed that Lucifer hadn't seen much of her either. Seeing them at a dinner together, the sort of dinner you'd take a date to, was the last thing Chloe had expected.

It was nothing, she told herself. She was thinking too much about things, that was all. She knew that Maze and Lucifer had been friends for a long time, and they both worked with the LAPD. Them being there meant nothing. It didn't have to mean anything that Lucifer had asked Maze to go, and not mentioned it to her. It didn't necessarily have to be about making her jealous. Because she wasn't jealous.

She was fine. Everything was fine.

"Chloe," Marcus was leaning close to her again, and she had to fight the urge to lean away. "Seriously, if you're not well, we can just go. I don't feel like staying now, anyway." The accusatory tone he'd had before had slipped into something more severe and bitter. Chloe had to make herself look at him, and when she did, she was certain that Marcus was watching the newest guests just a little too closely. As if he didn't trust them. Or maybe he knew something that she didn't.

Chloe herself tried not to look at them at all, but it was difficult. Lucifer was the sort of man that drew attention to himself effortlessly. All he had to do was walk into a room, smile, and suddenly everyone wanted to talk to him.

That's exactly what was happening right in front of her and Marcus. The two men that her new boyfriend had been speaking to quickly excused themselves, and made their way over to Lucifer and Maze.

Maze greeted them with a sharp, almost predatory grin. While Lucifer happily shook their hands and said something that made the small group laugh. Chloe picked up her glass again and downed the lot. She had no idea how he slipped so seamlessly into the formal party, after seeing him in his element drinking or playing the piano at Lux.

Was there nothing that made her partner uncomfortable?

"We're not leaving," she decided, and soon regretted it.

Not long after Maze and Lucifer's arrival, everyone began to seat themselves in the next room. Their hosts, an old boss of Marcus' and his husband, sat at the head of the room on a long table, with several smaller tables set up around them. Everything was very neat and just so. From the crisp, white table cloths, to the precise placing of all the plates and silver cutlery. Even the neatly written name tags were-- _oh no_.

"Detective!" Lucifer said cheerfully, perhaps a little too cheerfully, and held out a hand as he came over to her. Chloe and Marcus had already sat themselves down, without checking who they were seated with, and she suddenly wished she'd listened to him and decided to leave.

"Lucifer," Marcus greeted with no attempt to match her partner's enthusiasm. "Mazikeen."

"Cain," Maze returned, and sat opposite Chloe with an amused smirk.

She frowned and looked at Marcus, but he made no reaction to the name that Maze had called him. Maybe he just hadn't heard her. Or maybe he knew all about Lucifer and Maze’s biblical fixation and refused to play along.

He was too busy staring daggers at Lucifer, anyway. Something that her partner seemed completely oblivious to.

"Hey," she finally greeted, as he sat himself down beside her with a tight smile. Maybe he felt as uncomfortable being there as she did after all. It filled her with an odd sense of hope that Chloe didn't want to think too much about. "What're you doing here?"

That made him frown, and his smiled wavered.

"I was invited," he answered, as if he couldn't understand her question. "I know the commissioner," he went on to explain, because _of course_ he did. "And, well," Lucifer's grin returned, as bright as ever, "Most of the people in this room, actually. You'd be surprised how many officers come to me for deals, Detective." Marcus snorted, and her partner deliberately ignored her. "Even ones you work with. I know all sorts of secrets," Lucifer finished, his voice dropped to a low purr.

Chloe stared at him, and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Then Lucifer looked away from her suddenly, and she decided she did _not_ want to know what he meant, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Lucifer turned to Maze, as if their conversation was over, and her ex-roommate whispered something in his ear that made Lucifer look to the table behind them.

The two of them shared a knowing smile, and Chloe leaned back to try and see who the pair had been looking at. She recognised two of the officers on the other table, but both of them worked in narcotics and she was sure that Lucifer wouldn't know who they were. Then again, he had just claimed to know most people in the room. It was hardly the most unbelievable thing Lucifer had ever claimed.

As their first course was served, Chloe and Marcus sat in silence. It was awkward. A sort of tension had built between the two of them like a high wall, and Chloe tried to distract herself from it with the steaming soup that had just been set in front of her.

Beside her, she was all too aware of Lucifer leaning towards Maze and sharing secret whispers with her. He offered her his bread when she complained that she didn't have enough, and he called a waiter over to top up Maze's wine glass without her even having to ask.

They were both enjoying themselves, and although Lucifer spoke to as many people as possible before they were seated, his attention was now entirely on Maze.

Marcus just ignored Chloe. He stared down at his own soup as though he had a personal vendetta against it, and she tried to suppress a sigh.

"Aren't you hungry?" She asked, in an attempt to make conversation and break down that wall, but all she got in response was a non committal grunt and a terse, "Not really." He finished off his wine and called for the waiter to bring more.

"Me either," Chloe sighed quietly.

"Try not to drink too much," Lucifer said to Marcus, pulling her attention back to him. "You don't want to end up with a killer hangover."

"You're right," Marcus nodded thoughtfully, with the sort of smile that was anything but amiable. "But there's no need to ruffle your feathers over me, Lucifer. I rarely get hangovers these days."

Lucifer's face was like thunder. If somebody approached Chloe then and told her he really was the King of Hell, she would have been tempted to believe them. He looked furious. Maze slipped her hand over his and squeezed it, and then he seemed to remember himself and smiled again.

"I know the cook, Detective," he told her, distracting himself. "Would you like me to ask them for something else?" He sounded friendlier when he was talking to her, and Chloe couldn't help the wide smile that pulled at her lips, until she looked up and saw Maze was still holding his hand.

There was nothing intimate about it, she told herself, and both of them had turned their full attention to her, but Chloe felt a twist in her gut.

Why did she care?

"Detective?"

"No," she answered. "Thanks. I think I'll just wait for the main course."

"We're staying that long?"

All three of them turned to Marcus, but he didn't seem to care about their questioning frowns, or Maze's amused smile. She really did feel like they all had a secret that she wasn't privy to, and she hated it. It made Chloe feel even more out of place. Like she wasn't welcome there at all.

"You've got to stay for the main course! Isn't that why people come to dinner parties, Lieutenant?" Lucifer asked, and it wasn't lost on Chloe how cold he suddenly sounded. Even his smile seemed to carry a warning. "Or did you get confused? I know some people struggle with the word 'party'."

Maze chuckled quietly, and even Chloe felt herself smile. Lucifer made her smile far too easily.

"We all have different definitions of the word," Marcus shot back.

"Or no understanding of it at all."

The two men stared at one another. The only movement at the table came from Maze, who leaned even further across in her seat. It was like the other woman expected a fight to break out, and she was siding herself firmly with Lucifer.

Chloe wondered which one of them she'd side with.

"Lucifer," she said gently. "Ignore him. I was just--" He turned to her suddenly, and although his smile had softened, Chloe still felt her breath catch. "I wasn't... I think I just wanna--" She shrugged and tilted her head towards the exit.

She hated that she couldn't get her words out, but Lucifer seemed to understand. Worry creased his brow and filled his eyes. She'd seen that look on his face before, once or twice, back when their friendship was leading them down another path. Now they seemed to be heading in opposite directions.

Lucifer shared another look with Maze, and she nodded as if he'd asked her a question.

"Very well," he said quietly, and turned back to Chloe with an unsure smile. "I'll see you at work, then?"

"Tomorrow," Chloe agreed with a nod. For a moment, she felt the heavy weight lift in her stomach, until she realised that she'd be leaving Lucifer alone with Maze.

Before she could take the words back, Marcus was already out of his seat and slipping on his jacket. Chloe wished she'd brought a jacket with her, instead of the flimsy cardigan that hung on the back of her chair. But it was too late now, and Marcus didn't seem to have noticed that night had fallen since they'd been inside.

"Detective." Lucifer was suddenly standing up beside her, and Chloe watched him speechlessly as he held out his blazer. It was one of her favourite ones; the grey one with the purple lining. She wasn't sure why she'd noticed that detail or why she even had a favourite of his suits, but her pause made Lucifer frown.

"Thank you," Chloe said quickly, and turned around for him to slip the jacket over her bare shoulders. She’d chosen a deep blue, off the shoulder dress for that evening, and she’d felt ridiculous in it until Lucifer’s blazer was on her. The weight of it made her feel secure.

"I'll give it back to you tomorrow," she promised.

"It's nothing," he assured her. "Maze and I don't usually feel the cold."

Studiously avoiding both Marcus and Maze's eyes, Chloe turned and smiled at Lucifer. The reminder that he was staying with Maze, spending the night with her, didn't dampen her mood quite so much now that she had his blazer wrapped around her. It was warm and smelled of his rich cologne, and she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction when she turned and saw the dark look on Marcus' face.

She knew he was jealous of Lucifer, for whatever reason, but Chloe felt no sympathy for him in that moment. It was his own fault.

"Come on," Marcus finally said flatly, and left the table before Lucifer or Maze could respond.

"He was really dying to leave, huh?" Maze commented. Chloe couldn't tell if her teasing was friendly or mocking, but Lucifer smiled at the comment, and she was certain then that the two of them knew something about Marcus that she didn't.

"Oh, very good!" Lucifer said with unhidden amusement. “I hope he heard that one.”

Lucifer turned to her and Chloe had to swallow back the lump in her throat. It made his pleased smile fade away, and even Maze beside him stopped grinning. She had no idea how they’d ended up at that point. After being so close to _something_ , they’d be leaving that party with other people.

"Goodnight, Detective," Lucifer said soberly. "Maybe you could stop by Lux some time?"

"I'd like that," she returned, and failed miserably at keeping her voice steady. "Goodnight, Lucifer."

**Author's Note:**

> [Here's](https://luciferprompts.tumblr.com/post/172497033576/established-marclo-chloe-accompanies-marcus-to) the prompt from luciferprompts. I've been meaning to do some of these prompts for a while now. Don't ask why I chose to finally do one at 3am. I'm unsure about it, but I still hope you all enjoyed it!  
>  [Find me @[mareyshelley](http://mareyshelley.tumblr.com) on tumblr]


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